


Enouement

by dazed-daydreams (elderflower_macarons)



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Reader Is A Keyblade Wielder, Slow Burn, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2020-10-12 22:51:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20572253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elderflower_macarons/pseuds/dazed-daydreams
Summary: "The bittersweetness of having arrived in the future, seeing how things turn out, but not being able to tell your past self."





	1. 0.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [preview]

Sixteen years ago, you were born with a name inked along your wrist - tiny and barely legible at the time, but it was _ there _ and that had been what mattered. Soulmates were rare, and your parents knew that from day one and made sure _ you _ knew it as soon as you were old enough to comprehend the concept. It hadn't been until a few years passed that the name _ "Ephemer _ " was neat enough to read, written in neat, little letters along your wrist.

You, as most people who _ did _ have a soulmate, didn't know _ anything _ about this _ Ephemer _ . And, as most teenagers do at a certain point, you grew far too curious for your own good. You had to wonder _ who _ this Ephemer was, what they were like, how they looked - and how you'd _ meet _ this Ephemer. You spent far too many school days daydreaming a thousand pretty situations the _ where _ , the _ how _ , and the _ when _ you'd meet them.

And then you turned sixteen, and a few days later, you felt _ different _ . Everyone had attributed it to just another birthday - sometimes you _ do _ feel different after birthdays, others you feel _ the same _ and it's strange either way. But you'd been outside with friends when you saw your first Heartless - arising from the ground, somehow darker than _ darkness _itself. You'd been terrified. You'd backed away, your friends having already turned tail and ran the moment it arose, and before you could fully process what happened - reality seemed to melt away around you.

When you came to, a weapon had appeared within your hand.

The moment was a blur - someone else appeared before you, slicing through the dark creature with relative ease, and turned to you with an amused expression.

A _ keyblade _ , the person had said. You'd been chosen. You never understood the how and why, but you'd been far too eager and quick to accept your newfound fate. Breaking the news to your parents felt harder than it had been.

Your mother was immediately proud - her own daughter, a _ keyblade wielder _ \- while your father had his concerns.

But you knew what would come. Keyblade wielders weren't uncommon, and you knew that. There were unions. There was Daybreak Town - almost a central world for keyblade wielders to reside. You'd be leaving your family for who knows how long. But… in the strangest sense, you were _ ready_. You'd come back one day, you knew that, because you refused to completely abandon the people you cared about forever.

So you joined Vulpes, and you accepted your duty to collect lux for your Union. You met your Chirithy before anything else, and you'd immediately grown attached to the little friend. You'd developed your own appearance - settling for a different outfit with sturdier clothes for _ fighting _ (and the fact you'd be learning to fight terrified and thrilled you in a strange mishmash of emotions), yet keeping the bracelets your friends had made for you before you left, chunky beads gently pressing into your skin as a reminder of where you came from. They covered _ Ephemer _'s name, just for a sense of privacy.

Maybe you'd meet them someday. 

One thing was for certain: nothing was going to be the same from the very first moment you set foot in Daybreak Town.


	2. i.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> paths cross and gears turn. the story begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is absolutely the first time ive ever posted this chapter, what are you guys talking about-
> 
> (tiny repost with a fix!)

The day when everything in your life changed began with a foggy dream that felt too real to be one. 

The five foretellers stood at attention across the room, their backs to you as some person in a black coat gestured wildly. It took a moment for you to realize it, but as you leaned forward in an attempt to hear something, to catch  _ some _ bit of conversation, every single word that this person had been saying fell silent for you. As if there was something locking you out of the room, yet letting you catch the sound of gears clicking in the walls. Light stretched throughout the room, falling just out of touch from you, and… you felt cold. You breathed quietly, the sound barely registering to you as you force yourself to focus on the scene ahead of you - but you shuddered out a breath and decided that maybe, just maybe, if you drew close enough you could make some sense of this whole scenario.

But the moment you took a step, the room grew dimmer. The sounds of something coming for you made you glance over your shoulder, and a dark fog stretched it's way towards you. You tore forward, intention set on getting to the foretellers - they would protect you, wouldn't they? But before you could get too far, something slithered around your ankle and yanked you back in a sharp movement that sent you crashing to the floor. You called for help, but it was almost as if you were drowning when this wave of inky darkness washed over you - leaving you thrashing recklessly in an attempt to get free.

And then you were awake, the dim light of morning yet to make its full appearance before you. The sound of your panting, cold sweat dotting your face as you reach up to rub your eyes - only for Chirithy's appearance to make you jump in the process,  _ nearly _ causing you to smack yourself in the face.

He didn't seem to notice as he sleepily looked at you. "That must've been some dream," he said, tilting his head slightly, "you were tossing and turning like crazy."

Taking a breath, cool and clear and even now, you mustered up a quick nod. "The darkness… it - it got me-"

Chirithy frowned in response. "Close your eyes and try to get some sleep, okay? It was just a nightmare, [y/n]."

At first, you were reluctant. What if it had happened again? But you obliged, laying back down and pulling your blanket back over your body, and soon you drifted off once more.

~

_ "Was that you?" _

_ "Did you show her the dream? What is it you're trying to do?" _

_ "The opposite of what you're doing."  _

_ "I guess that makes us enemies." _

_ ... _

_ "Don't worry… I'll protect you. I have to…" _

~

The beginning of your day was normal as always, collecting lux always your main priority. So you stuck around Daybreak Town, the other worlds finally quiet for once, and finally you were given a specific task. You'd wandered into a shop for a moment of reprieve when the Moogle running it had asked (or, rather,  _ ordered _ ) you to go down to the Waterfront Park and get rid of whatever monster there before it scared away  _ all _ of his customers. So you took off, heading through Daybreak Town with clear intent driving you forward. You grasped your keyblade within your hands, slicing through most smaller foes with relative ease along the way. 

The sound of a loud grunt ringing through the air caught your attention as you reached your destination, metal clanging to the ground right after, and before you could consciously make a decision, you turned and were darting off toward the source of the sound. Upon seeing a figure sprawled on the ground, slowly pushing himself back up, you rushed to get between him and the giant Heartless that was looming over him. It's yellow eyes found you, attention flitting away from it's previous target to you. You managed to get in a hit before it knocked you away with relative ease as its blunt, blue sword smacked into your abdomen. The dull pain rippled through you as you flew back, back hitting the ground.

" _ Hey _ !"

As you tried to return to your feet, you grew distracted watching the boy as he pulled himself back up to his feet, Keyblade back in his hands as he gained the attention back to himself. Charging forward, you watched as he sliced through the creature in a flurry of blows - before finally landing a hit that sent it bursting into a puff of dark, purple-y black smoke. For a moment, you had to admire how quick he'd gotten back onto his feet -  _ how long had he been doing this? _ Longer than you, almost definitely. But you watched as he immediately hunched, heavily breathing as he grew unsteady. So you hurried forward to his side, extending a hand to him right as he fell to one knee.

"Are you alright?" You asked.

At first he didn't take your hand, eyes squeezed shut as he breathed before he finally looked up at you, gaze falling down to your hand. "Yeah," he finally said, "I'm all right," and then he placed his hand in yours, allowing you to help him back to his feet. He chuckled, running a hand through his hair sheepishly, "thanks, by the way. I guess I got a little cocky, huh?"

As your Keyblade disappeared from your grip, you took a small step back, giving him a little space. "I'm [y/n]," you said, "from Vulpes."

For a moment, he stared at you, before seeming to snap back into reality. With two words, your world changed. "I'm Ephemer," he had said, almost as if he were trying to gauge your reaction (or, maybe, that had been wishful thinking on your part), "I belong to Leopardus." When you don't show any emotion, he smiled, "nice to meet you!"

You held back the urge to ask. Surely, he would have said something, right? Soulmates are rare. But you finally smiled in return, "nice to meet you, too!" 

In the silence that followed, you debated testing the waters and finally speaking up. After all, it was worth a shot, wasn't it? The moment you went to say his name, he cut you off, "I guess we belong to different Unions, huh?" He smiled, and your heart leaped into your throat as you merely muster a quick nod. After taking a quick glance around, he lowered his voice, " _ but _ … I'm working on something other than my union task, so I guess I'm Union free for today." 

"What?" You stared at him, "Union free…?"

"Yep!" He chirped, and for a moment you swore that this boy could rival the damn  _ sun _ . Ephemer gave you a quick once-over, before his smile fell, "can you keep a secret?" Again, you could only nod. "Alright," he said, cheeky grin back as he stretched, amusement coloring his voice, "I  _ guess _ I can tell you what it is, then."

"Ephemer." His name was past your lips before you could even process it, and it flowed off your tongue so  _ smoothly _ . Maybe that was because it had made a home in your mind, and you swore that those seven little letters on your wrist were almost  _ burning _ . It's him. It has to be, right? How many people named Ephemer could there be? "Are you…"

When you trailed off, he looked back toward you. "Am I…?"

Almost in an instant, you swore your throat went dry as you grew flustered. You snapped your gaze away, chewing at the inside of your cheek for a second, "never mind." Gathering your nerves, you looked back at him, "what are you working on?"

You wished you could remember the exact words he said next. But as he launched into his explanation, your mind was elsewhere. You felt guilty for that - not quite catching every little detail that he had. You didn't remember telling him about your dream, even though the motions were there, your lips moved, you  _ spoke _ , but… it was all background noise, lost to time whenever you looked back on the moment. You were too busy wondering. Seven little letters. A four word question would have cleared  _ everything _ up in that moment. 

Yet… you were afraid. Was this  _ the _ Ephemer you'd been thinking about for so long? Presence not  _ there _ yet always an underlying question that stuck with you for so long? Sixteen years of wondering, and dreaming, and conceptualizing the  _ when _ and the  _ where _ and  _ how _ \- and now… Ephemer - no,  _ an _ Ephemer stood before you without a hint to whether he was  _ the _ Ephemer or not. Surely, he would have said something. He would have done something… right?

Instead, he took your hand and the two of you were off. His hand let go of yours far too soon as he darted ahead, stopping for barely a beat to look back at you as you picked up your pace, hurrying after him through Daybreak Town. Every step felt  _ new _ , as if you hadn't walked those streets before. It was… strange, to say the least. Maybe that was the power of a possibility. The power that seeing a ray of light after a sea of gray could grant you. Even if he wasn't  _ the _ Ephemer… you fell in love with the light feeling that fluttered in your chest, and decided that you'd chase this bit of happiness until the end.

The day melted into a blur as the two of you searched for a way into the tower. Climbing down the steps to the underground waterway, the sound of footsteps approaching made your stomach drop until Ephemer smiled at you as he looked back at you. And just as fast as he had appeared, he was gone - off to search the waterway for a way into the tower. So you took off in the opposite direction and ignored the way your heart fluttered.

~

A familiar pain chewed its way through you as you were sent flying back, almost suspended in air as time seemed to  _ slow _ around you. You'd been hurt before - that was certain. Keyblade wielders faced all kinds of danger, after all. But this? This… was  _ different _ . Your heartbeat echoed in your ears, only the sound of your shallow breaths combating it in any way. A warmth blossomed in your chest as your feelings melted away, eyes squeezing shut as you try to regain any sense of self. Your energy had dwindled. The conjure word for cure was on the tip of your tongue, yet… your voice was momentarily gone.

A wave of cold washed over you. All in that instant, it was almost as if someone had pressed play on your life and set you free from the state you'd entered. You fell to your knees when this feeling released you, leaving you to sit there, eyes readjusting to the dim light. When you looked up, Ephemer was in front of you, a hand offered to you. The two of you stood alone, no foes, no fear left to linger. Without a second thought, you took his hand, and he pulled you to your feet.

"Now we're even," he said, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, before it soon fell as he looked you over. "Wait - are you okay?"

"Yeah," you admitted quietly, before nodding, "thank you." You paused for a moment then, " _ although _ I'm not sure I'd say we're even, since you took care of it  _ last time _ ."

"You definitely helped!" He countered, "c'mon. I think we're getting close."

With a nod, you passed him, walking ahead while keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble. Soon enough, you stopped as you noticed between the gears a pathway that stretched out of sight. Ephemer nearly passed you until you tugged on his sleeve, catching his attention as you pointed out the dimly lit area. He looked at you for a moment, and you couldn't help but smile at your little discovery.

"Well?" You said, hand falling back to your side. "What are we waiting for? This is what we were looking for, right?"

As you went to continue onward, Ephemer caught you by the wrist. "Hey," he said as you turned to face him, "I think we should head back."

You pulled your wrist from his grasp, "what?"

"It's taken us  _ this _ long to get here," he said, "just think of how much longer it'll take for us to enter the tower  _ and _ find the room. It'll look suspicious if we're gone for too long."

"We're so close, though," you said, almost  _ whining _ slightly at this trip being delayed, "Ephemer, we can't just stop here."

He didn't address it. He looked distant for a moment, "hey… [y/n]? We might not be in the same Union, but we're…  _ friends _ , right?"

The strain on that one word drove you up a wall. So you merely nodded at first, before you finally found your voice, "yeah. We're friends, Ephemer."  _ And also maybe soulmates, but we'll tackle that one later, probably _ .

"Then…" He took your hand in both of his, "let's meet tomorrow at Fountain Square! How about noon?"

You flushed at his proximity to you, eyes bearing into your own. "Yeah…" You broke eye contact, smiling and nodding a little, "yeah! Tomorrow at noon. Don't be late, alright?"

He smiled at that, before he let go of your hand, letting it fall back to your side. "Alright. I promise - tomorrow  _ for sure _ ."

Hours later, you were lying on your bed dressed in a sweatshirt and pajama pants, a warm feeling having flooded your chest. You stared up at the ceiling, the dim room illuminated by the moon outside, and you were filled with the thoughts of what was to come within the next day. The adventure you would have with Ephemer. Chirithy appeared on the window ledge, taking note of how ridiculously  _ blush-y _ and  _ smile-y _ you were.

"Someone looks happy!" He said, and you shifted so that you were sitting up, arms resting on your knees. "What happened?" He asked, and when your smile didn't break, he seemed to grow more persistent, "tell me! Tell me!"

A laugh colored your voice at first, " _ alright _ -" You toyed with the blanket, "I made a new friend." 

He only grew more excited. "That's great! No wonder you're smiling," he said, before looking slightly distant, "I hear that having friends is nice, but… I wouldn't know, because I don't have any…" He trailed off.

Immediately, you were staring at him with furrowed brow and a small frown crossing your lips. "What? Chirithy, we're friends."

He looked back at you, caught off guard by the sentiment. "Huh? You're my… friend?"

You sorta chuckled at that, "of course!" But your smile fell. "Actually… Chirithy, there's, uh, something I haven't told you." 

"What?" He said, before he made his way onto your bed, sitting near you. "What is it?"

You cautiously rolled back the sleeve of your sweatshirt, letting it bunch halfway up your forearm, and you reveal Ephemer's name on your wrist. "I… I think he's actually my soulmate."

"What?"

"I would have said something!" You quickly clarified, "but - I don't know, I was scared I would be wrong and that it would make things  _ awkward _ , and….

"And?"

"... I didn't want to risk it." 

~

"You're  _ really _ not yourself today. I guess even foretellers have their off days…" Ephemer perked up, "Hey - maybe talking about the Book will cheer you up!"

Her laugh is like a bell, pretty and clear. "Not a chance!"

He playfully frowned, " _ aww _ ."

"You were trying to pull a fast one on me, weren't you?"

"No, no! I was joking!"

She wasn't convinced, but her smile had yet to fade. "If you say so." She paused, fingers drumming idly against the stone fountain, "But… I really _ do _ think it would be great if all the Unions could work together and be friends."

Immediately, Ephemer thought of you. "You know, I made a… a friend from another Union today. She's... " He trailed off, at a loss for words for a moment, only one coming to mind at first. 

"Ephemer?" She said, "Why did you say it like that?"

He reached up to scratch at the back of his neck, only to pause, fingers lingering over his shoulder as he became acutely aware of a pretty inked name that resided right underneath his fingertips. "Like what?" He feigned confusion. "She's just a friend-"

She saw through it, and she smiled a little, " _ I'm sure _ ." 

"We're actually meeting again tomorrow," he said.

"Then you better go get some sleep," she said.

He nodded, hopping up, "'kay!" He bowed quickly, "it was nice talking to you! I don't know what's got you down, but please cheer up!" 

He slowed to a stop. He thought something over. He frowned. He changed his destination. And then, all too soon, he was standing in the same spot he'd reluctantly decided to save the adventure for tomorrow. He took a breath. He summoned his Keyblade, and he stared ahead for a moment before shutting his eyes.

"I'm sorry, [y/n]..."

And then he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (ao3 user evilflower ur the REALEST thank u for pointing out the thing that u did)


	3. ii.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> questions are asked and leads are followed.

The next morning you were awake bright and early without any traces of weird dreams. Chirithy watched as you wandered your room, preparing your bag for the day to come with a spring in your step that he hadn't exactly  _ seen _ before. He couldn't judge you (he was  _ glad _ , actually, to see you happy) - as he knew now about your potential connection with Ephemer. Soon enough, you had left him in your little sanctuary as you headed towards the Fountain Plaza to meet with Ephemer again.

At first, you thought it was your excitement making every second feel as if it'd been hours. The chime of the clock tower had pulled you from that train of thought far too quickly. But you stayed seated on the fountain while idly toying with your bracelet as you waited patiently. One hour passed, and then another, and another. Every ring added a weight onto your shoulders that had begun to make you feel sick. Had he forgotten?

You dismissed the thought. He wouldn't have.

… Would he?

Yet hours passed. The sun set. The streetlamps flickered on. The moon watched you wait. You cradled your face in your hands as you had leaned forward enough that your elbows could rest on your knees - and when you straightened up for a moment, your spine popped in protest at the change in position. How long had you been sitting there, a statue in wait? You'd watched other wielders race past, going off to complete their duties for a day that you were shirking off in favor of waiting for someone who was only a maybe in your life. Someone you weren't even sure about. His name was on your wrist, but that was never a guarantee since how many people with the name "Ephemer" were there? Life wouldn't be that gracious to grant you your soulmate now… would it? A bitter taste lingered in your mouth. Was this fate  _ taunting _ you? Dangling potential right in front of you, only to snap it away when you grew too curious?

What was that phrase people always said? Curiosity killed the cat? If you weren't holding yourself together with a single thread, you could have  _ laughed _ at the idea. Perhaps you were one step away from that kind of fate. The two of you would have been risking a lot in proceeding on your little journey. Maybe this was the world's gracious way of saving you. Maybe you should have thanked the stars for holding you back like this, and for keeping Ephemer safe (or, at least, you  _ hoped _ he was safe - because if he hadn't said anything to you, how could you truly know?) instead of letting you walk straight into trouble without so much as a second thought.

That still left one question for you, though.

Where  _ was _ Ephemer?

"Have you been here all day?" Chirithy had appeared, hopping down from some nearby steps with a melancholy feeling lingering around him.

You fought back tears. "Yeah." You gave a little nod, pressing your lips together as they quaked.  _ No. Not here. _

Chirithy saw through you. "Come on," he said as he grew closer to you, "let's go home-"

He was cut off as you scooped him up into your arms, holding him close as you finally gave into your emotions and let yourself cry. Despite everything inside of you that wanted to hold it together, to save face until you were in the safety of your own room, you cried. Chirithy's face was buried into your neck, almost as if you were ashamed of letting him see you like this - having him there was hard enough, to be honest. You were meant to be a Keyblade wielder. You felt like you were supposed to be  _ better _ than this. But you broke, all because of one  _ boy  _ who left you with nothing but a name and a broken promise, and that made you a little bitter.

Almost unnaturally, you stopped. You let Chirithy go, wiped at your face, and stood up. He watched you as you started off on a walk home, only to immediately turn to catch up to you. 

And then you barely made it a few steps before breaking down again.

"Hey," Chirithy grew closer to you, looking up, "I'm sure something important came up… friends always keep their promises - maybe he just had an emergency!"

Wiping roughly at your face, you mustered up a nod. "I know, but... I just…"

"You should give him the benefit of the doubt," Chirithy started, only to be cut off as another sob tore its way through you. "Don't be sad!" He said, "When you're sad, it makes me sad too. After all… we're friends, right? Friends don't let friends deal with things alone… right?"

That had been enough to make you stop for a moment, giving you the opportunity to catch your breath. Slowly, you dipped down and gently took his little paw in your fingers. "Right," you finally said. "Chirithy… let's go home."

Barely a second after he nodded, you gently picked him up again and started off towards your little home (just a tiny apartment in the same building as many other Vulpes members - it'd been graciously given by your Union) with slower steps than you'd wished to take. Maybe if you paced yourself, you could keep it together - you wouldn't be  _ as _ stressed to balance running and not crying, right? Chirithy stayed silent for most of the journey, his little arms gently laying over yours.

"Hey… [y/n]?" He asked, and when you hummed in acknowledgement, he continued, "I meant to ask before… have you eaten today?"

Immediately, you could feel the heat rising to your cheeks in embarrassment at your own neglect. "I, uh, I didn't pack anything-"

"Then let's make dinner!" He chirped, "you need to take care of yourself, after all!"

You softly giggled. "Yeah," you nodded, "I guess I do. Thanks, Chirithy."

~

"You've been overworking yourself a lot, [y/n]..."

You had just gotten back from collecting Lux, pressing yourself against your door after pushing it shut with a heavy sigh. The ache that settled into your muscles seemed to intensify, and you wanted nothing more than to  _ rest _ for a thousand years. Chirithy had appeared in a puff of smoke, standing on a small half-wall nearby, almost the moment you finally took a breath.

You cracked a weak smile. "Just trying to collect Lux," you shrugged, "That's all."

"There's still other people in Vulpes…"

You dismissed the thought with a wave of your hand, "I  _ know _ . I just… needed the distraction today." You straightened up, pulling yourself together, "I liked seeing Alice."

The moment your knees buckled, Chirithy piped up, "[y/n]. you should get some rest."

You waved him off. "I'm  _ fine _ . At least let me take a shower first." 

So you did, treating yourself to a particularly long shower, drawn out partially by the name on your wrist grabbing your attention every so often. Before you met Ephemer, you had wanted to meet him - and now? A small part of you, deep down, wished you could wash the name away. Feeling hurt because of a friend breaking a promise would be worlds better than your (presumed) soulmate doing so, wouldn't it? The gnawing question wouldn't keep rising to the top, buoyant as ever, making you question whether Ephemer was  _ the _ Ephemer or not. His whereabouts would be your next object of question, and then what happened to him, what came up, and then back to the question of  _ is _ that refused to stay down for too long. Eventually you shut off the water and dressed yourself in your coziest pajamas, having deemed your day worthy of nothing but comfort, and curled up in bed. The last thing you remembered before falling asleep was the sight of Chirithy at the foot of your bed, presumably asleep, and the little bit of joy that came from having a friend nearby.

~

The sound of footsteps pounding against the ground caught your attention as you stood in the middle of Fountain Plaza. When you turned, Ephemer had slowly to a stop, hunched forward as he tried to catch his breath. You stood there, staring at him with bewilderment, almost worried for a second about what had happened.

"Sorry!" He straightened up before you, a certain look of softness in his eyes as he looked at you for barely a moment.

Furrowing your brow, you gave him a once-over. "Ephemer?"

"I'm sorry!" He repeated, "I really am, [y/n]." He still didn't meet your gaze. "There was something important I had to take care of." 

Part of you was a little bitter at that.  _ More important than maybe telling your soulmate if you  _ ** _are_ ** _ indeed soulmates _ ** _?_ ** Something about the way he looked purged that thought from your mind as he tugged idly at his scarf.

"I hope you can forgive me," he said, barely looking at you for a moment again, before he dropped his attention to the ground.

_ Jeez _ . He had this kicked puppy look that tugged at your heartstrings. "Maybe I will," you said, keeping your ground. You crossed your arms, leaning toward him with a little devious smirk, "are you gonna make it up to me?"

The tips of his ears turned pink as he looked up at you, eyes widening slightly at your smile, but he dropped the look soon as he gave you a curt nod. "You still up for our adventure?"

"Hm…" You mused, as you started to walk past him. You turned back to him with a smile, " _ always _ ."

The walk through town as a complete blur. Gears turned around you. You stared at the pathway ahead. 

"It's up ahead," Ephemer said, a few steps behind you. "Are you with me?"

Your stomach dropped.  _ Where did this come from? _ "I'm…" You stared off, and you could feel his gaze bearing into your back.

"Ah." He said. Suddenly, he sounded distant. "You're not ready yet."

Immediately, you set out to prove him wrong, turning to face him. "No, I'm ready- I just needed a moment-"

His smile washed that plan away. "It's okay," he said, hand grazing your arm for a moment before falling back to his side. "I had a feeling that might be the case," he looked away with a frown. When he met your gaze again, you felt…  _ off _ . He looked distant. He  _ felt _ distant. And yet he stood right in front of you. "I'll be waiting, [y/n]."

Before you could question him further, you watched as he began to fade from existence right before you. Your breath hitched in your throat as you reached out for him, his name a broken whimper on your lips as familiar white puffs appeared. Dandelion seeds. Ephemer disappeared, the seeds floating upwards into the distance.

And then you were awake. You sat up, rubbing at your face with one hand before running it through your hair within the same motion. Why did it feel like any glimpses of Ephemer were just fate taunting you a little more? Then the thought hit you: what if someone hurt him?

Chirithy woke up (or, perhaps, he had never been asleep - you weren't sure) and turned to you. "Did you have another dream?"

"Yeah," you answered, "just a weird one, I guess." 

"Was it about him?"

You looked up, slightly startled. "Ephemer?" You asked, and he nodded in response. "Yeah… it was about him." You paused, looking out your window before you pushed your blankets back, "I think I'm gonna go to the tower-"

"No way!" Chirithy hopped up, "Only the Foretellers are allowed there-"

"So?" You pulled open your closet, "Ephemer and I were going to go there anyway. Maybe I can ask Master Gula. If one of the Foretellers did something to him…" You trailed off, shaking your head as you unbuttoned your pajama top. "I just want to know."

"Now's not a good time anyway," Chirithy said, pulling your attention back to him as you abandon your unbuttoning a few buttons in.

"What?" You stared at him, "Chirithy, do you know something?"

"I can't go into detail, but the Foretellers…" He paused, looking away, "Well… they've been disagreeing on a few things lately. Let's just say you should steer clear of that tower for the time being." 

Weighing your options, you finally let out a sigh as you nodded. "Okay. If you insist, Chirithy." You walked back over, gently patting him on the head, "I'll go back to bed."

And you did - at least, at first. It took barely ten minutes for you to change your mind, and the moment you heard Chirithy disappear, you immediately got back up and went to change.  _ Sorry, Chirithy _ , you thought as you left your place. You had more important things to do. You made your way through Daybreak Town as the sun was rising, never stopping - even when Chirithy popped back into existence just ahead of you.

"I don't think this is a good idea." 

You didn't stop to answer, walking past him as you kept your focus on any signs of Ephemer. 

"Are you even listening?"

By the time he finished the thought, you broke into a run towards the sewers. 

"Wait! Where are you going?!" 

Originally, you had your goal set in mind to go straight into the tower. When other wielders came out, going about their daily tasks, you decided to lay low and wait until there was a large enough gap of time for you to slip into the sewers without any witnesses. That had been when you began listening in on other people's conversations on accident - most of the time harmless stuff, but it was almost as if fate pulled your attention to a couple nearby.

" _ I _ heard something interesting the other day," a girl with a short, platinum blonde bob said with a taunting look in her eye as the boy next to her chuckled. You guessed that this must be normal for her. "One of the Masters is recruiting Keyblade wielders with  _ potential _ ." 

"Master Ava, right?" Her friend asked, "the one in the fox mask?"

" _ Mhm _ ." She paused for a moment, brushing her hair back, "I think it's kinda  _ suspicious _ , y'know." 

"What are you gonna do, hunt her down and confront her?" 

"Wouldn't be hard," she nudged him, "after all, she keeps hanging around the plaza. I heard she's  _ waiting for someone _ …" She gasped, " _ maybe _ it's that boy!" 

"C'mon, Liz, there's nothing between her and Ephemer-" 

"I don't know," she hummed, "you said you didn't know him that well.  _ Maybe _ -"

You stopped listening at that point, taking off. If there's rumors about Master Ava, then surely someone else heard them. Surely someone else would know something, wouldn't they? 

"Were you eavesdropping?!" Chirithy said as he appeared beside you, hurrying along to your side.

"I just overheard them," you admitted with a hand wave, "I wasn't trying to listen on purpose."

"[y/n]-"

"I'm gonna ask around. Maybe someone knows about Ephemer." You didn't turn to face him, biting your bottom lip. "I need to know, okay?"

You didn't give him a chance to answer, to fight you on the idea, as you took off running immediately to question anyone in Daybreak Town for their missions. You sliced through Heartless as you made your way forward, almost taking a moment to marvel at the way they burst and disappear as you break through darkness with a simple slice of your Keyblade. At first, you'd begun to think the entire town was empty save for the two you'd seen earlier - but a girl finally caught you attention. She idly waved at you upon seeing you before she went back to pulling her hair up, her pink hair swaying as she turned to you upon your approach. 

"Hey," you called out, "have you seen this guy - uh, Ephemer - anywhere? He's-" 

"He's the one with the silver hair, right?" She cut you off, and you nodded. She leaned back against the wall, "I saw him talking to Master Ava the other day."

"You did?" You asked, "what about? Where did they go? Did you-"

"Woah there," she immediately held up a hand, "listen, I only saw them.  _ But _ ," she said with a small smirk, dragging out the word, "I have a friend who knows the master  _ pretty _ well… unfortunately, he's off completing a task in Agrabah-"

You were beginning to think she was toying with you in some weird way, dangling information right over your head with some weird sense of glee. "When will he be back?" 

"Don't know," she shrugged, before leaning forward. "Why don't  _ you _ go and find him yourself, if you're so desperate to find Ephemer?"

"I'm not desperate-" You started, only to dismiss the thought. "I will. Thanks."

In a fluid motion, you re-summoned your Keyblade and pointed it towards the distance to open a pathway to Agrabah. Wind blew past you as you stole a look back to the pink-haired girl, who merely shot you a cheeky grin as she turned off to go take care of her own duties for the day, and you stepped through the portal and into a dreadful sense of cold that washed over you too quick, too thick to shoulder. Part of you always hated traveling between worlds. The pathways always left you feeling choked up, chest heavy with more weight added onto your shoulders until minutes after you arrived at your location with the tiniest sense of fatigue sipping away at your energy. The hot winds of Agrabah kissed your skin as you stepped into the simmering heat, wincing slightly at the scorching sun as you threw your free hand up to block it from your eyes.

You made your way through Agrabah, sand clinging to you as the sun harshly kissed every ounce of bare skin it was able to. You felt your skin slick with sweat, the fabric of your clothing clinging to your skin as you searched for any signs of a Keyblade wielder - eventually venturing out further into the desert upon learning that "strange creatures" had been spotted outside of the city. Part of you had always hated Agrabah - the heat, the threat of a sunburn always looming over you,  _ the damn sand  _ \- but certain aspects (or, perhaps,  _ one person _ ) made it worth it. You'd have to take the time to appreciate things next time you were in Agrabah, but now your focus was on finding this person so you could find someone who was potentially, in a sense,  _ your  _ person. So you followed the Heartless as groups grew thicker, the trail leading you straight towards a cliffside with the distant figure of someone facing off against another group.

Without an ounce of hesitation, you joined them - clearing the area alongside him almost wordlessly with few clashes between the two of you as you focused on taking out what you could. As soon as the area is cleared, this person - a rather tall, scrawny guy - approached you with a little wave.

"Hey!" He said, rocking on his heels, "thanks for the help! What brings you out here?"

You wiped sweat from your brow. "Your, uh, friend said you know Master Ava…?"

His face flushed at the statement, as he looked away "oh! I mean… I don't _know_ _her _know her, but I do see her around the tower a lot. I, uh, don't really know how to get inside but - there's definitely a way, right?"

You nodded. "Right… Thank you." You nodded, turning and heading off with a small wave before opening another portal to Daybreak Town. "Stay safe, alright?"

He beamed a little, proudly placing his hands on his hips. "Of course! You too!"

You flashed a small smile before heading through the portal, cold washing over you only to be replaced by a cool breeze of Daybreak Town. Upon stepping back into a less-harsh sun, you took a moment to savor the change in climate from Agrabah, shutting your eyes for a moment and merely breathing. Your grip on your Keyblade tightened slightly, as you look onward with determination before you charge into town - heading down the familiar path you and Ephemer took together in order to find a way into the tower. It was forbidden, they all told you -  _ only _ Foretellers were allowed, but you didn't care. If Ephemer was in danger, then wasn't it your job not as potentially his soulmate, but as his  _ friend _ , to find him? To bring him back? To repay the favor once more? A sense of dread began to whirl in your stomach as you considered what could have happened to him - especially if a Foreteller was involved. Would the same have happened to you? Is that why Ephemer left you behind? Maybe he had been protecting you and you, ever the fool, decided to charge headfirst into danger. Even though you didn't know him well… you felt like it would be worth it. Something told you that if it had been you, Ephemer would have done the same. 

You descended the stairs, eyes beginning to adjust to the darkness as you wandered towards the last place you'd seen Ephemer. The sounds of water dripping and gears turning flooded your senses as you squinted, the vague outline of a figure just ahead. You slowed to a stop, eyes fully adjusting to the change in light as you realized just who stood before you. Her back was to you, but the fox ears standing up from her head gave her away - alongside the cloaks that fully encompassed her form. 

_ Master Ava. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello! it's been a few months - or maybe a few years? it feels like so much longer with how hectic everything has gotten lately. i hope all of you are staying safe! wash ur hands, quarantine if you can, and if you happen to be an essential worker - thank you so much for everything you've done (the same goes to any of you with family members who are - they deserve so much more and i hope they know they deserve the world).
> 
> i've got a few tiny notes to make:
> 
> enouement stopped following the canon plot at some point before the player meets ralph, if i remember correctly? i think i went back in to add something from canon because i was like 'oh i could work with this' but once thing's take a turn from canon completely, i'll try to make a note! in general, i might be disregarding different aspects of plot just because things weren't there when i was first planning this fic (others because i went 'fuck it, its MY self indulgent fic i can do what i want w this minor detail-' bc im here for a good time ok) so like. while some details are accidentally left out/forgotten, others are... potentially intentional (feel free to ask - as long as ur polite, i wont take offense!) 
> 
> for anyone who like. wants my tumblr: dazed--daydreams! it's a new sideblog im making with the intention of focusing on video game fics (kh, fire emblem, ect). there aren't any posts aside from a quick one just so the blog pops up in search results. it's super under construction - but my dms are open if anyone ever would like to talk! (+ i'm more open to showing sneak peeks of fics and responding to any feedback). this goes double rn since we're all facing really tough times, so like - feel free to follow and dm me for any reason?
> 
> for anyone who's read serendipity and is curious: yes the sequel is still in the works, i promise aaa ive been having a hard time deciding which way i want it to go since theres two ideas im toying around with (which i might publish both w the one i dont use for the actual fic as a "alternate ending" sort of thing?) 
> 
> and as for this fic: im not even 100% done planning it. i have a large majority done, but i still have some loose ends i really wanna tie up and im not sure how to tackle them? please know my document of plans for this fic is 91 pages and over 36k words right now skjfhsd i have so many plans aaa (for anyone curious: its 31+ chapters as of rn, and im not exactly sure how many it'll end up being atm? but it's gonna be a loooong boy, i can tell u that)
> 
> feel free to reach out for a chat at any point! im happy to respond to comments here or talk on tumblr if anyone is interested or needs to talk. im happy to help however i can.
> 
> stay safe, guys! thank you for being patient while i suck at actively writing things <3


	4. iii.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you fight for an answer.

Through the thin rays of light peeking in, you peered toward the figure that stood with their back to you. Upon the sound of your footsteps echoing around, they turned, looking up towards you with lips pressed into a thin line. The ears on her hood should have given her away the moment you spotted her - but when you saw her face, you immediately recognized Master Ava as she stood there, gazing in your direction without a single word. You couldn't recall seeing her in person like this before - you were just a mere member of her Union, far too busy with your own duties of collecting lux to actually have a reason to see her. But your Chirithy wandered past you, close enough that you still felt safe with his presence.

"Master Ava…!?" He finally said, clearing the air as she took slow steps toward the two of you. For a moment, you thought Chirithy would say something else.

She kept her attention on you. "You're [y/n], aren't you?" You barely mustered a nod, voice caught in your throat. She spoke once more, "why are you here?"

You struggled to find your voice, only mustering up a single name, "Ephemer-"

"Ephemer?" She cut you off before you could attempt to reason further, and she turned away for a slight moment, mulling over your singular reason.

So you took your opportunity to ask, "so you do know him?"

"You haven't answered my question," she remarked as she looked back to you.

_ Right _ . "There was a rumor floating around town," you began, watching her closely, "you're… recruiting Keyblade wielders with potential, and some people have seen you with Ephemer, so…"

Nodding slowly along with your explanation, she let out a soft exhale before turning her face back towards you. "I see." 

"I had a dream about him," you managed to admit, "he was waiting here-"

"You had a dream?" She asked, waiting for you to confirm. The moment you nodded, she looked around the area for a second, "I see. He must have said he'd be waiting here for you here in your dream, but... " She looked straight back at you, "this place is  _ restricted _ ."

"I know," you immediately said, "but if Ephemer was in trouble, I wanted to come help him- someone said that you were talking to him-"

"You thought Ephemer got caught up in the problems we've been having lately… and you thought maybe I had something to do with it,  _ just _ because someone saw us talking the other day?"

It felt silly once you heard her say it aloud. But you slowly nodded, "I had to be sure-"

"You're honest," she said with a ghost of a smile, "I like you." And for a moment, she paused, looking you over, "you're in my Union, aren't you?"

Once more, you nodded. "I meant no disrespect, Master Ava-"

"I can't tell you much," she cut you off once more, "but… you aren't  _ too _ off base-"

A flash of anger coursed through you. "So you  _ did _ do something to him?!" You summoned your Keyblade, gripping it tightly as your focus was now pinned to Master Ava and no one else. Even though it fell into background noise, you knew your Chirithy well enough to know he had immediately called your name at the sound - almost as if he would be scolding a child.

Master Ava looked toward your Keyblade for a moment, before summoning her own. "Show me what you can do," she said in a low voice.

Instantly, a surge of regret filled your stomach -  _ shit _ , this wasn't actually supposed to happen. Your grip loosened for a moment, "wait - Master Ava, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry," she said, as that same hint of a smile graced her lips once more, "I just need to see something." 

Fear burst through your veins as you stared at Master Ava, before you shifted to prepare for a fight - uncertain of what to do. She stood still, watching you, and you understood that she must have been waiting for you to take the first move. Whether it was a courtesy or her way of analyzing the way you fight, of figuring out your weak points, you would never be sure - but you took the chance to charge at her. You went to strike at her with your weapon, only for the clash of keys to clang out. With ease, she pushed you back, sending you sliding towards Chirithy until you caught your ground once more. 

Okay. Different approach. She had deflected you with ease - so maybe it would be better to stay light on your feet and search for any moments of opportunity. Less power, less magic, more speed. That had been drilled into you from day one - and while Master Ava was no pushover in the slightest, you had the feeling that strategy would be your best option. You reached toward your belt, fingers grazing over a medal of a memory - one that never belonged to you, but strength lended through time - that would fill the craving you had. But you pulled your hand away immediately as she dashed towards you. You narrowly dodge her bringing her weapon down upon you, lucky that the medal hadn't been dislodged in the process. You gripped your weapon, staring at her before charging straight for her. When she raised her blade to defend herself from an attack, you merely leapt over her and landed safely behind her, only to fumble at the last second. 

You went to attack, bringing your Keyblade down towards her back - but every single action that Master Ava took was a reminder that she was stronger than you.  _ Faster _ than you, as she whirled around and blocked your attack once more. It caught you off guard, nonetheless, and your Keyblade nearly slipped from your grasp from the conflicting metals between the two of you jarred you from your thoughts. She wasted no time as she slashed across your chest, a burning sensation dancing across your skin. That had given you enough incentive to dodge the next blow she tried to deal you, albeit only narrowly succeeding. 

At that moment, you realized you never really  _ fought _ another Keyblade wielder before. Maybe that was why the sensation of mere burning was a surprise to you. You expected pain and blood and maybe a nasty scar if the Foreteller before you weren't kind enough to spare a weak spell your way. Yet the feeling had strangely dulled down within moments, and as your mind wandered on the subject, your guard lowered. The thing that snapped you back into reality was a Keyblade narrowly missing your face, and you sprawled back to avoid another blow. You swore that you caught a ghost of a smirk on Master Ava's face - as if this were a game and that little move merely was to wake you up. Perhaps it was. You'd never be truly sure.

You didn't hesitate that time to reach for a medal. " _ Give me strength _ ," you murmured as it glimmered with a pale glow, and you felt it flood into you almost immediately. Distantly, you swore you could hear a boy speak - a voice lost within time, someone had once told you, meant to lend you some power. But you forced it from your mind. Not now. 

Now you felt lighter than air as you charged towards Master Ava, this time surprising her slightly in the bold move. You slashed wildly at her, some hits connecting and others missing due to every graceful dodge she managed. As the power drained from you, you faltered back, trying to buy yourself a moment to take even the smallest of breaths before continuing. While you were left panting slightly, it was as if you hadn't even scuffed Master Ava in the slightest. It… 

It wasn't  _ fair _ , and that suddenly pissed you off.

You let out a yell of frustration as you charged at her again, only for her to easily subdue you - her blade against your with a sharp enough move that disarmed you far too easily. Her Keyblade came down on your back, pain bursting through you as you were thrown roughly to the ground. You landed half-way turned back to look at your attacker, only for that to be thrown aside as you tried to protect your face the best you could.

She watched you push yourself up. "Not bad," she said, "I see a lot of potential in you-"

"I'm not done yet!" You barked, going to push yourself up. Immediately, you regretted it and a hiss of pain slipped past your lips as an awful pain burst through your ankle.  _ Shit _ . You must have landed on it wrong. Or maybe there'd been another moment - you weren't sure. Adrenaline would have helped, wouldn't it…?

She pressed her lips into a thin line as she walked over to you, dropping to one knee. "Are you injured?"

You refused to look at her, feeling childish. "I'm  _ fine _ \- I can still fight-"

"You're stubborn, aren't you?" Amusement colored her voice as she stood. "As I was saying," she said, that little slip of her Foreteller air gone in an instant. "I see a lot of potential in you, but…. I can also see sadness in your heart. Hanging onto it will eventually lead to darkness."

At the last word, you snapped up, staring at her with furrowed brow. "Darkness?" You reached up, fingers meeting the fabric over your chest, "Over… sadness?"

"You need to somehow let it go."

"But - Master Ava," you started, "I can't just stop feeling sad-"

"That isn't what I'm asking," she said. Her attention fell to Chirithy. "I think with this little one helping you, you'll understand soon. Now…" She turned away. "Go home. And… I'm sorry, but this area is strictly off-limits, all right?"

You pouted at that. Wincing at the pain in your ankle, you pulled yourself back to your feet, one person your mind the entire time. "Master Ava," you said as she began to step away, "I need to know one thing." She turned back to you, waiting. So you lowered your voice to barely above a whisper, " _ Is he safe _ ?"

It was moments like those that you wished you could see her face - to see  _ all _ of the Foretellers faces, actually. She was motionless for the longest time, as if muling over your question - as if it was  _ hard _ for her to answer. But - surely, she had to know.

Finally, she merely nodded.

So you called out after her, "Thank you," but soon enough you were left alone with Chirithy as she disappeared ahead of you. You sighed, deciding to limp back through Daybreak Town and hopefully make it back to your home before collapsing somewhere. You didn't care about your duties. Chirithy tagged alongside you as you slowly made your way through Daybreak Town as morning broke above you. The moment you saw another person, you waved at him in an attempt to get his attention. He broke out of his morning daze when you called out to him, and broke into a jog over to you. He'd been taller than you, his platinum-colored messy hair catching the morning light in a rather pretty way - and for a moment, you had to find him kind of cute.

He gave you a once-over before chuckling softly, "Rough day?"

You frowned a little, before nodding. "I guess you could say that." You took a breath, swallowing your pride, "Can you help me get home?"

His eyes widened slightly, and he glanced around before he finally turned back to you. "Uh, sure, but… you know we aren't from the same Union, right…?"

"I don't care," you shrugged. "My ankle fucking hurts, and I just want to go home."

He nodded, brightening up. "Good!" And then he paused, "I mean - it's not good that your ankle hurts, but… I know some people who care about the whole Union-rivalry-thing a bit too much…" He looked you over once more. "Here," he turned, bending his knees.

You stared at him. "I can-"

"It'll be easier, right?"

You let go of your hesitation. The less you walked on your ankle, the happier you'd be. So you leaned forward, wrapping your arms around his shoulders tightly. He reached around, arms around your legs to secure you in place as he stood. You immediately clung to him, and he chuckled softly at the motion.

"You okay?" He asked, adjusting his arms slightly.

You nodded a little, loosening your grip. "Yeah," you said, "I'm not too heavy or anything, right?"

He chuckled. "Nope! You're fine. Don't worry about it. Where do you live?"

"Uh," you started, "Vulpes. I can point you to the right building once we get there - wait, uh, do you need to know where that is, or-"

"It's fine," he said with a nod, "I know where that is. Hold on tight, alright?"

He straightened up, shifting his arms once more to make sure you were secure on his back, before he started walking. After a few minutes of silence, you leaned into this  _ stranger _ a bit - almost calmed by his presence. The soft scent of some kind of cologne caught your attention, and you had to wonder if that was an everyday thing for this guy or if you'd caught him on a good day. You shut your eyes, slightly lulled by his steps. For a moment, you dozed off until he jostled you slightly - and when you went to complain, you recognized the neighborhood he'd carried you to. So you sheepishly apologized for your bit of slumber and pointed him in the direction of your home. With the way your face was radiating heat, you were glad he couldn't see you. 

Slowly, he dipped down once he had been standing outside your home, letting you step back from him before he started off - turning back after a few steps to grin at you.

"Anything else?" He asked with a smile, shoving his hands into his pockets. "How high up are you?"

"I don't want to answer that," you bluntly said. "Thank you, though."

"No problem!" He chirped, giving you a little salute, "Maybe next time, we'll meet under better circumstances."

You couldn't help but smile at his cheerful disposition. "I'm [y/n], by the way," you said, offering a hand.

He reached out, taking your hand. "Mel." He beamed, "Nice to meet you, [y/n]."

Soon enough, he took off after a quick farewell and left you to take care of yourself. You turned, heading inside and up to your home. The moment you collapsed onto your bed, you felt a wave of relief wash back over you. You shut your eyes, stretching slightly until you felt a presence beside you. The mattress dipped slightly as Chirithy plopped down next to you, and you opened your eyes to see him curiously watching over you.

"How's your ankle feeling now?"

You let out a sigh, and shut your eyes once more. "Better." You pressed your lips together, mulling over Master Ava's final action towards you. After several minutes of silence, you sat forward, opening your eyes as you reached to tug off one of your bracelets. "Chirithy," you started, setting one down beside you before moving to remove another, "I think I'm taking the day off."

He tilted his head as he continued to watch you. "I think that's a good idea." The moment the other bracelet was atop the other, he spoke again, "[y/n], you'll meet him again. I know you will!"

" _ Hm _ ?" You hummed, looking back to him. "Mel, or…?" You looked to your wrist, "Oh. Yeah." You flexed your wrist slightly, rubbing at where the beads had pressed into your skin, "I wish I said something to him."

'Well," Chirithy walked to your side, plopping down beside you, "If he's your soulmate, then he already knows, right?"

You looked over to Chirithy, reaching up to pet his head. Despite the gnawing doubt in your stomach, you forced a smile, "Right. But…."

"But?"

"I just… want to be  _ sure _ ," you said. "I need to know it's him." You stopped, stifled by a yawn, "I think I'm gonna lie down, Chirithy."

"Are you sure?" He said, nuzzling against your side, "I think you should eat something, and maybe take care of your ankle."

"Just for a little while," you waved off the thought, "I'll eat when I get up. Thank you for worrying, Chirithy."

The last thing you remembered thinking about as you dozed off was Ephemer and all of the questions he left in his wake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi i promise im not dead 
> 
> theres just been a lot going on in my life and i just havent been able to write so :( sorry!!

**Author's Note:**

> [just a little preview of a story to come]
> 
> [update 01/03/20: if y'all saw that chapter: i am so sorry i thought i edited everything and didnt realize i completely skimmed over something mentally and was like 'yeah this is done!' so ill. fix that and reupload i am so sorry this is why u proofread but ive got one brain cell so-]


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